Dversify Your Fruit & Veggie Intake
We all know that fruits and veggies are packed with hearth-healthy antioxidants, especially dark blue and red produce, like blueberries, cranberries, and kidney beans. But different foods contain different compounds and experts say we need a variety of antioxidants from as many sources as possible. Here are some unexpected super-sources:
First: Whole-grain pasta. Pasta that lists “whole wheat” as the first ingredient has 3 times the antioxidants as regular pasta and the levels are comparable to fresh produce.
Another surprising antioxidant source: Popcorn. Air-popped popcorn is 100-percent whole grain and has 4 times the antioxidants of most fruit.
Then there’s yogurt. One cup of plain, low-fat yogurt and one cup of cooked spinach have the same amount of vitamin B, which helps antioxidants destroy harmful free radicals.
Another surprising place to find antioxidants: Organic milk. Researchers found that milk, cheese, and butter from grass-fed cows have 45 percent more vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein than products from cows raised conventionally on hay and supplements. The final surprising source of antioxidants:
Natural sweeteners, like honey, brown sugar, molasses, and maple syrup. And know this: The darker the honey and molasses is, the more antioxidants it has. For example, buckwheat honey has 5 times more heart-healthy compounds than honey made from clover.
First: Whole-grain pasta. Pasta that lists “whole wheat” as the first ingredient has 3 times the antioxidants as regular pasta and the levels are comparable to fresh produce.
Another surprising antioxidant source: Popcorn. Air-popped popcorn is 100-percent whole grain and has 4 times the antioxidants of most fruit.
Then there’s yogurt. One cup of plain, low-fat yogurt and one cup of cooked spinach have the same amount of vitamin B, which helps antioxidants destroy harmful free radicals.
Another surprising place to find antioxidants: Organic milk. Researchers found that milk, cheese, and butter from grass-fed cows have 45 percent more vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein than products from cows raised conventionally on hay and supplements. The final surprising source of antioxidants:
Natural sweeteners, like honey, brown sugar, molasses, and maple syrup. And know this: The darker the honey and molasses is, the more antioxidants it has. For example, buckwheat honey has 5 times more heart-healthy compounds than honey made from clover.
